The field service management industry is a business that is always changing at a rapid rate.
Field service procedures are working hard to meet growing customer expectations for services as well as the demand for high efficiency in equipment-related activities. And this was before the market was confronted with the new reality brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Without a question, companies that want to stay on top must be well-versed in new technologies as well as current techniques and concepts for AI, machine learning, and augmented reality deployment. When these areas are properly understood and implemented, they ensure an acceptable degree of expectation and commercial value. The purpose of this article is to provide a quick overview of the top 5 predictions for Field Service Management for 2021 and their business implications.
1. Automation in field service management
Almost every field service discussion includes the phrase “automation.” Every well-known FSM solution on the market includes this as a standard feature. It is feasible to automate job assignment procedures with the appropriate scripting and pre-configuration. That, however, is no longer sufficient.
Field service software automates tasks including establishing a task to conduct maintenance services, scheduling and assigning field service professionals, and tracking the position of workers, among others. The following are some of the major advantages of adopting field service automation software:
- The productivity of field labourers has increased. All customer- and service-related data is centralised in one location, making it easy for technicians to evaluate repair orders and service-level agreements, for example.
- Dispatchers can use automated intelligent scheduling to allocate the best personnel to the project based on their talents, work schedules, and GPS location. As soon as a new work order is given to them, technicians will receive real-time notifications.
- Resolution time is reduced. Workers may remotely monitor an asset, look for information on comparable work orders, read knowledge articles, and watch video lessons to help them solve the problem faster.
2. Technician enablement
Incoming technologies like augmented reality and holo-lenses, which allow for the execution of complicated tasks with real-time supervision and direct access to a knowledge base, help field technicians as well. Every aspect that enhances a technician’s work style improves overall efficiency, first-time fix rate, and, ultimately, customer happiness.
Other options, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, are also available to assist field technicians.
Drone inspection of hard-to-reach regions offers significant advantages over the old, human-based method, particularly in the telecommunications and oil and gas industries (see our white paper to discover how integrating drones with AI/ML may cut field service maintenance costs).
When combined with cloud services or an IoT platform, the site survey and inventory procedures may be completely automated. In this scenario, the job may be done more easily and swiftly owing to a wearable that shows the extent of work to be done by the technician and checks their health status.
3. Proactive and predictive maintenance
People are spending more time at home, which makes them more conscious of the state of their appliances. It’s having an effect on their utility costs as well. As a result, there is a shift in concentration. Customers want to ensure that their home gadgets are completely working, thus they want to be aware of any potential breakdowns or malfunctions. The Internet of Things can link household equipment to management software provided by a service provider.
When a possible or imminent problem is detected, the IoT system monitors performance and sends an alarm to the consumer and provider. This level of predictability allows for maintenance to be planned ahead of time. As more individuals take measures to make their houses smarter, boosting functionality for remote working and socialising, it’s a metric that’s becoming increasingly significant.
4. Mobile apps
Digital apps are just now beginning to be used in the field service business to improve service delivery. Not every business is ready to integrate mobile app features into its field service management software. Those that are able to do so will have a significant edge.
Within the field service software package, mobile applications allow personnel and consumers to connect. They can also be used by field service employees to record and track task progress.
5. Upgraded risk management process
Field service personnel have never had to be concerned about where they — or their clients — have been, but businesses are increasingly taking steps to guarantee that in-person site visits are as secure as possible. Field service companies are developing pre-screening questions that their technicians may use to assess the risk of exposure for various activities, particularly those in high-risk environments like nursing homes or hospitals. For the foreseeable future, this will most likely be a risk management trend.
Field service is now proactive rather than reactive. These emerging field service trends can help you pivot in the aftermath of COVID-19 if your objective is to empower technicians, enhance customer interaction, and convert field service into a profit-generating arm of your organisation.
The next step is to look at a comprehensive solution that will give you the tools you need to implement these trends.
Fieldy is a comprehensive field service management system with a robust feature set designed to improve every element of field service operations, including client asset management, work order management, predictive maintenance, and more.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our trained field service specialists field service management software 2021 if you’d like to learn more about these and other field service trends, as well as how Fieldy may benefit your company.